In the nascent days of photography, portraits were a rarity, and the norm was for subjects to adopt serious, almost somber expressions. This was not merely a stylistic choice but a practical necessity of the era. With long exposure times required to capture images, maintaining a smile was impractical, if not impossible. Thus, most early photographs reflect a stern, impassive … [Read more...] about This Rare 1894 Photograph Shows a Young Indigenous Woman Smiling at the Viewer